2nd Guards

Main Menu

  • Home
  • Military escorts
  • Army commander
  • Military guard
  • Peacekeeper
  • Rifle division

2nd Guards

Header Banner

2nd Guards

  • Home
  • Military escorts
  • Army commander
  • Military guard
  • Peacekeeper
  • Rifle division
Military guard
Home›Military guard›At House hearing, Vermont National Guard addresses annual sexual assault report

At House hearing, Vermont National Guard addresses annual sexual assault report

By Barbara D. Anderson
April 6, 2022
0
0
Maj. Gen. Greg Knight, Adjutant General of the Vermont National Guard, speaks during a roundtable discussion at Camp Johnson in Colchester Thursday, August 5, 2021. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger

Last year, the Vermont National Guard investigated five sexual assault allegations, including two of rape, involving its members, according to an annual report discussed Tuesday in the House Committee on General Affairs, Housing and Human Resources. military affairs. Three of these incidents allegedly took place that year, while two occurred in previous years.

Lawmakers addressed the annual report, which has been required by law for nearly a decade, as they considered H.666. The bill would create a consultant position to help lawmakers oversee the Guard’s efforts to reduce sexual misconduct within its ranks.

“Commanders and leaders have created an atmosphere in which survivors of sexual assault come forward with the confidence that their reports will be taken seriously and that they will receive the necessary support and care,” said Adjutant General Greg Knight in a memorandum to the Legislative Assembly. .

The Vermont National Guard has been required to submit a sexual misconduct report to the Legislature each year since 2014, after allegations of assault and harassment prompted a top adjutant general candidate to withdraw from the race in January 2013.

In January 2019, Governor Phil Scott asked the Adjutant General to conduct a top-down review of the Guard’s sexual assault policies and procedures after VTDigger released a seven-part series in 2018 on Guard misconduct, including allegations of sexual assault. , harassment and retaliation against a whistleblower.

Nikki Sorrell, the Guard’s sexual assault prevention and response coordinator and the first civilian to write the report, presented highlights to committee members during Tuesday’s hearing. In the 2021 federal fiscal year — which ran from October 2020 to September 2021 — Sorrell’s office followed up on five sexual assault reports, she said, including three that allegedly took place in the during this period, one in 2019 and one in 2005.

All of the accused perpetrators were members of the Vermont National Guard, she said. Survivors included four members of the Guard and one civilian.

Sorrell’s office also began tracking another federal case going through military tribunal that was reported by an active Guard member overseas late in the fiscal year, she said. The accused is also a member of the Guard. The survivor is at home receiving support from Sorrell’s office, she said.

There were no reports of sexual harassment or discrimination based on sexual orientation during the year in question.

The Guard’s latest annual report, for fiscal year 2020, documented three cases of sexual assault and two cases of sexual harassment between October 2019 and September 2020.

Previous reports of favoritism and members not feeling comfortable speaking up about issues led the Guard to create an Anti-Harassment Policy in February 2021 and an Equal Employment Policy in September 2021. A draft military equal opportunity policy is also under review. All three policies exceed federal requirements and National Guard Bureau standards, according to the 2021 report.

A new “Reach Up” feature in the Guard mobile app now offers members an easy way to file complaints, even anonymously, the report notes.

Past climate surveys have also revealed a perception of unfairness related to job assignments and hiring practices, particularly for women. But in testimony before the House committee on Wednesday, Knight pointed to the gender statistics in the report as “a critical element” that showed some improvement in leadership assignments. He said it “reflected the direction of the National Guard.”

Knight told lawmakers that the Vermont National Guard was the first to open up recruiting to women throughout the organization.

According to demographic data presented by Knight, women make up 21.2% of assigned personnel and hold 23% of leadership positions. Additionally, two women are currently being trained as F-35 fighter pilot candidates — a first, he said.

“When I was elected to this position, one of my primary goals was to improve equal opportunity in our organization,” Knight said. “We are literally correcting centuries of combat arms being exclusively male occupations.”

Committee members said they believed the report had made “incredible progress” and said they would welcome suggestions for specific legislative actions that could support the Guard.

Stay on top of all Vermont criminal justice news. Sign up here to receive a weekly email with all of VTDigger’s court and crime reports.

Did you know that VTDigger is a non-profit organization?

Our journalism is made possible by donations from our members. If you appreciate what we do, please contribute and help keep this vital resource accessible to everyone.

Related posts:

  1. Museveni wins in Uganda, Wine remains in military custody
  2. “Game Of Thrones” Season 8 News: Casting Begins For Military Guard Role; Alice Nokes confirmed | Entertainment News
  3. A military guard victim of alleged police violence
  4. Can you believe this is legal? Military Guard and Reserve employees may be terminated during deployments

Categories

  • Army commander
  • Military escorts
  • Military guard
  • Peacekeeper
  • Rifle division

Recent Posts

  • Barber Trucking of Brookville escorts the healing wall | New
  • Member of Goshen’s Honor Guard is Memorial Day Grand Marshal | News
  • DVIDS – News – Support from Ohio National Guard and State Defense Force members proved critical to hospitals during recent spike in COVID-19
  • Zimbabwean peacekeeper wins UN Gender Advocate Award |
  • Support increases for naval escorts for Ukraine Grain

Archives

  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • March 2020
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • February 2019
  • November 2018
  • September 2018
  • February 2018
  • July 2017
  • May 2016
  • November 2015
  • August 2015
  • November 2013
  • April 2013
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions